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From: liberte@uiucdcs.UUCP
Newsgroups: net.politics
Subject: Re: Some Questions - (nf)
Message-ID: <29200134@uiucdcs.UUCP>
Date: Sun, 22-Apr-84 19:36:00 EST
Article-I.D.: uiucdcs.29200134
Posted: Sun Apr 22 19:36:00 1984
Date-Received: Tue, 24-Apr-84 07:54:22 EST
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Nf-ID: #R:pyuxa:-69800:uiucdcs:29200134:000:3851
Nf-From: uiucdcs!liberte    Apr 22 18:36:00 1984

#R:pyuxa:-69800:uiucdcs:29200134:000:3851
uiucdcs!liberte    Apr 22 18:36:00 1984

/**** uiucdcs:net.politics / ea!mwm /  2:41 pm  Apr 19, 1984 ****/
Fair enough. I'd like to try something different too. Since I can't think of
anything that I think would be better, I keep trying to get what we've got
now improved (in my opinion, naturally). Can you think of something better?
If so, TELL US!
/* ---------- */

I would tend to agree that the basic framework of the US Constitution is not
a half bad job.  There are many significant merits.  However, the writers
could not anticipate all the abuses it would be used to justify.  It also
lacks in its ability to cope with today's situation.  There is always the
provision for holding a new Constitutional Convention, but even I would be
afraid of the consequences given the "powers that be" that would be dominant
factors in such an action.

Some of the things I would like to see:

Participative Democracy - none of this "representative" stuff which is not
	really representative and so easily abused.  I want people to have
	a direct say in policy matters through referendum.  Of course, it
	takes an educated populace for this to work.  But then it is to the
	advantage of everyone to encourage education everywhere, rather than
	to rely on those smart looking representatives.  Participative
	Democracy would do the general, policy making work of the legislative
	branch.

Professional Management - If managers were hired as in a business to carry out
	the policies voted on by the populace, and were subject to removal
	or transfer based on the quality of the work done, then things 
	might work alot better.  These managers, a hierarcy of them, would
	be like representatives in doing the job they were hired to do.
	But the big difference is that there are no terms of office.  The
	hierarcy probably should be hired from the bottom up with the people
	hiring the lowest level, local managers.  Professional Management
	would be the executive branch and act on the policies of the 
	nation as a whole - the people.

Justice - the most important branch of government - needs to be heavily
	reworked.  Judges must be the most highly educated (mind, body,
	spirit) individuals we can find, for they uphold the law - they
	are the highest-level interpreters of the law.  (The people are
	the final interpreters of the law - they decide whether it is
	law for them.)  Judges should perhaps be elected but with very
	rigorous qualifications, and as long as the qualifications are
	maintained, serve for life.

This is just the political/justice system.  The economic system is another
thing entirely, but the two must work together.  Notice that the US
Constitution does not say much one way or the other on the economics
front.  People associate capitalism with democracy, but 1) other combinations
with socialism and communism are possible and 2) what we have now is neither
capitalism nor democracy in the pure sense, but moving towards monopoly and
tyranny with some socialism mixed in.

For the sake of argument, I believe in individual free enterprise
and collective socialism.  That is, private ownership of what you yourself
create, produce and purchase with freedom to choose, but national ownership 
of corporations with national selection of management.  If you have something
worthy of a business, take it up with the business experts.  If you dont
like their decision, take it up with the Justice department.  Everyone
selected to work in the corporation would benefit from the success of the
business through profit sharing.  Everyone would benefit from a successful
business through better products and less waste.

So these are some of my ideas.  They are not worked out and lots of loose ends
need to be put together or pulled apart.  Have at it.

Daniel LaLiberte,  U of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, Computer Science
{moderation in all things - including moderation}